Peeze’s Playbook (Div.E) Week 3 – FlagPlus Football League

Being a house guest in a foreign land (does it get any more foreign than Toronto?), is always somewhat awkward for everyone involved. Those receiving feel as though they can’t do enough to accommodate their guests. The guests feel like they are constantly in the way and putting their hosts out. Whether it comes to the awkward choice of sleeping with a pillow or waking up with a stiff neck or asking for a pillow, a pain ridden morning seems to always win out.

Nonetheless it is in this way that friendships are strengthened and much alcohol is consumed on work nights. Suddenly, waking up in a haze with pains in places where you thought humans didn’t even have places to begins to feel alright because you’ll remember a ridiculous sentiment from the night before or glance over at an empty bottle of bourbon with pride.

This is the time where teams begin to see where they’re at. The teams that are excelling feel confident; they feel at home. Teams such as mine (now ready to go 7-3 after an 0-3 start), need to step it up. Otherwise you’ll always feel like the awkward guests in a division that just won’t have you. If you need help, for god sakes don’t be too proud to ask for a damned pillow.

Gingers get Waxed

Despite his week 1 struggles, Normand Bellmare has stepped it up and has started to look every bit the QB of the year candidate that I thought he would be coming into the season. That being said this wasn’t the story of the game. As much as I loathe discussing defenses WOWO’s defense warrants a mention after annihilating Steven McFee’s offense this week. Mark Rinaldi, Danny D’Amour and new acquisition David Daoust each recorded an interception. Jordan Bellemare, who is probably the most underrated player on the Wax On, Wax Off roster who intercepted McFee twice. Offensively it was Danny D’Amour who ran circles around the Gingers defence. D’Amour caught 6 passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns. You would think that this would be an indication to cover the dude. It would not happen on this day. Wax On, Wax Off have a strong core and we will see this team get stronger as the season continues.

The Gingers need to adapt. Steven McFee is incredibly quick and is using his athleticism well at the quarterback position. However, he needs to be able to throw the ball to be considered as a dual threat quarterback. While he has the skill set to grow in the way that Joey Taylor of Two and a Half Dans has, he needs to develop chemistry with his players in order to do so. For now the way to do that is to call easy to read plays and get his players the ball with the ability to work in space. In a game where McFee completed 3 passes to his own squad and 5 to the opposition we could not expect much of a different outcome. Wax On, Wax Off beat the Gingers 20-0.

Alcohol of Fame Degenerate

Early this season, Alcohol of Fame looked like one of the top dogs in Division E. However, their offence still isn’t clicking. Having 5 snaps sail over your quarterback’s head and ending the half with negative passing yards is a horrendous way to start the game. Tom Sides has missed multiple snaps in every game so far this season. Perhaps this is why Gatehouse struggled to get in rhythm and he threw 3 interceptions for the second week in a row. There is no doubt that this defense is strong as Vadim Chernyak and GM Koletheras returned the favor by intercepting opposing quarterback Danny Aylward. However, FPF is an offense first and quarterback driven league. If they continue to struggle to put up points they will continue to struggle overall and they may lose more games as they did in this one losing to DX by a score of 16-8.

DX is one of the least talked about teams in the division but they have one of the best defences in Div.E. Having allowed no more than 18 points in a game since the beginning of the season and having intercepted 10 passes already we can see this as developing into a truly dangerous opponent. In this game Nick Rompotinos, Foti Evangelista and Michael Perez all intercepted Alcohol of Fame and it really seems as though there is not a safe place to throw the ball against this defense. Also, they seem to be playing with a chip on their shoulder since Terry Tam referred to them as the Park X Streets Backups.

n.W.o Get Creamed

I hate writing about blow outs. Well, unless it’s to point out how right I was about something. Before the season started I claimed that Cream Team was the best team in the division. It looks like I may have been right afterall. Jarred Humphrey had an incredible game this week posting a qb rating of 151.4 and Matt Monnet exploded as he halled in 4 catches for 82 yards and 2 tds. This was not all the Monnat contributed to his team as he caught two passes from n.W.o. What a nice guy, he always seems willing to lend a hand that way. Cream Team is a strong group and seem to have every facet of their game working. The defense is quick and reactive, Humphrey has looked strong, the receiving corps is beastly and even their rusher, Joey Blusanovics had his game in high gear (recording 3 sacks in this game).

n.W.o. are definitely a frustrated bunch. I have said for a while that while their trick plays may have helped them develop in the short term, they need to grow into a more conventional offence. Sanchez is a good quarterback that needs to trus his arm Stephen Tirelli hasthe makings of a dynamic and threatening receiver. This is why I think, despite the fact that Sanchez struggled he should have stayed behind centre. This is the only way to develop as a quarterback (as painful as it is). Cream Team take this one 48-6 over n.W.o.

5 plays Till Half Time-. Each week The Eagle at Master Control will send me five quick fire questions and I will do my best to answer them with the least amount of forethought possible. The always arrive late so, please feel free to send your complaints about the punctuality of my article to @Eagle FPF.

Eagle- Is it beneficial for a quarterback to have a go-to receiver in Division E? Does it stunt the qb’s growth and hamper their ability to read the field?

Peeze- I think that there is an extremely positive benefit. Being comfortable is important for a quarterback. Reading a defense comes with time and as long as you’re not neglecting your other options, having a security blanket is important. The time to use your clutch receiver is when you need it most. Having someone you xcan go to on third or fourth down is hugely important. As quarterbacks gain confidence and improve their skills,

Eagle- Some teams struggle in the redzone. What are some tips to punch it in?

Peeze- Given that I have struggled with this in the first few weeks, I don’t know if I’m the one who should be giving advice. Find a couple of plays that work well given the players that you have. Most teams in FPF play lanes in the endzone, using a concept that will have a player attack the front of the endzone and another attack the back line will force a defender to have to make a choice. As such one of those two options should get open. Also, if you have players that are good at working in space get them the ball and force the opponents to make a tackle. If you chose to go this route you may need to draw up a couple of plays from the 1 because they won’t always get in.

Eagle-What are some simple plays that teams use to move the chains?

Peeze- The most commonly used play in FPF is all-hooks. The reason it is used so often is because it works. Teams should always have a play that threatens deep and attacks the first down marker at the same time. This way if the opposing team tries to take away any plays at the first down marker you may be able to attack them with a bigger plays. Another concept that works well is floods. Plays where you have three receivers at different depths in one passing window are particularly effective. The most common of these is a fly, 7-10 yard out and a quick out on the same side. Usually one of these three players should be wide open.

Eagle-How effective are trick plays and unusual formations?

Peeze- In the short term they may cause problems for some teams. However, I think we’ve reached an era in FPF where the rules don’t support many option or trick plays and where teams adjust quickly. Conventional offences do reign supreme but I don’t think that trick plays should not be used. Rather they should be used sparingly and while quarterbacks should not be afraid to se their athleticism, they should also focuse on making proper reads and the right throws.

Eagle-Give one piece of advice to new quarterbacks based on what you’ve learned in the first three weeks.

Peeze- Keep your game plan simple. Make sure that your receivers all understand their routes. Focus on your mechanics or you’ll end up throwing it to the opposition as often as I have!

Reflections, Rants and Ravings:

Division E has the privilege of being nominated as Game of the Week this Week. Alcohol of Fame will be facing off against the Minge. Thank you to all of you who voted.
Two parties are offering to videotape team’s games for a price. No bidding war has begun yet.
I don’t think it’s fair that a cruise boat can have a pool but if my canoe takes on water I’m fending of fish by the school
True story, fruit by the foot contains no fruit whatsoever.
Danny D’Amour has caught 7 touchdowns thus far. Perhaps it’s time to start covering that guy.
Hangar Crossfit quarterback Jean-Phillipe Guitard has 14 completions in 3 games. It’s been a rough start for the first time qb.
A roundhouse kick gets its name from a fancy kerjigger used to turn trains around. You didn’t know, stop nodding your head.
Fresh MTL rusher Alex Angeletti has 12 sacks in 4 games. QBs, you need to work on your collective release.
Justin Blanchard and GM Koletheras did a great job filling in for me this week in the division E and D podcasts. They were well prepared and did their best despite clearly being less talented than I am.
My headlines are all fairly written as puns of the losing team’s name. Am I feeling a little pessimistic today?

Power Rankings

DG Goons (3-0)- They are the only undefeated team and they get ready to face the 0-3 Killuminati. The Goons look like the top team thus far.
Cream Team- They have the best +/- and they have already scored 100 points. Time to start asking for cream because it’s the popular choice.
Alcohol of Fame (2-1)- They’re a couple of botched snaps away from being undefeated. Also, given that they don’t score points it’s pretty impressive that they kept their week 4 game so close.
Los Pollos Hermanos (2-1)- They have a quick defense that likes to pounce on holes and are adept at closing passing windows. Ryan Moncarz is an impressive new passer and now I crave fried chicken; not my frackin’ problem (two jokes in one is always fun)
Fresh MTL (2-1)- This is a good team but Terry Tam’s interceptions continue to worry me. Hopefully this loss doesn’t lead to a land slide.
Junkyard Dogs (2-1)- They finally picked up a big win. I still want to see a bigger body of work before I become a believer. I think they will pick them up in coming weeks.
The Pack (2-1)- They stumbled in week 2 but looked like the good old boys this week. They have a curious test this week as they play DX’s stifling defense.
Wax on, Wax Off (2-1)- If a shutout doesn’t get you on the board then this list is flawed! That being said it most likely is anyway.

Other Teams Receiving Votes:

While on break during this week’s Flag Plus Bromance I asked Terry Tam to cast his vote but he was bitter because he didn’t have enough followers and boycotted this section of the article. End the boycott follow Terry @TerryTamFPF. Remember, it’s not ok to follow him home.

-The Minge (2-1)- They have beaten two teams that have a record of 0-6. This doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence. That being said you can’t choose who’s on your schedule.

– DX (1-1)- So my questions about their defense have been answered. However, I don’t like teams that don’t score. Ergo, I don’t like you guys. Plus I heard somewhere that your quarterback can’t tie a full Windsor. Class boys, it’s important!

–TDs and Beer (2-1)- With Brad Evans at quarterback this team looks solid. They face Jean Guy this week, let’s see if this streak continues.

Hung-over Visions of the World of Tomorrow

So I had a pretty stellar week when it came to making predictions. However, so did everyone else. As it turns out imitation is the truest form of flattery as the boys pretty much followed suit with my picks. Despite their lack of courage, I’ll keep crawling up the rankings. Here are our picks for this week.

GAME	PEEZE	TERRY	GM	EAGLE

Hangar Crossfit vs. Los Pollos Hermanos	Los Pollos Hermanos	Los Pollos Hermanos	Los Pollos Hermanos	Los Pollos Hermanos
DG Goons vs. Killuminati	n/a	Killuminati	DG Goons	DG Goons
Jean Guy vs. TDs and Beer	TDs and Beer	TDs and Beer	TDs and Beer	TDs and Beer
n.W.o vs. Fresh MTL	Fresh MTL	n/a	Fresh MTL	Fres MTL
The Minge vs. Alcohol of Fame	The Minge	Alcohol of Fame	n/a	n/a
Gingers vs. Cream Team	Cream Team	Cream Team	Cream Team	Cream Team
Wax On, Wax Off vs. Junkyard Dogs	Junk Yard Dogs	Junkyard Dogs	Wax On, Wax Off	Junkyard Dogs
DX vs. The Pack	The Pack	DX	DX	The Pack
Old Guns vs. Orange Crush	Orange Crush	Old Guns	Orange Crush	Old Guns
Record	12-12	15-9	16-8	16-8
Winning pct.	.500	.625	.667	.667

Thursday’s Two-Step

Division E is looking exciting. Even winless teams are still within reach and thwere is still a lot of football to play. For more talk about this you can tune in to the FPF Bromance live on Monday nights at 8:30 at www.theunclehood.com. If you can’t watch it live you can download it via iTunes or at http://fpf.podomatic.com/. Feel free to join us live during the show by tweeting @EagleFPF or if you’d like to join Terry’s life, you can join us @TerryTamFPF. Feel free to hit me up with questions or comments @PeezeFPF or by emailing me at [email protected]

Have a great and safe week of action. See you at the fields!